Lights! Camera! Action! It's opening night and butterflies are swirling in your stomach for the first time all day... Your heart pounds through your chest as you walk out to a full house. You take a deep breath in and out, but continue to sweat profusely. You take your place and finally the curtain rises... It's showtime! Most of us thespians know if we're obsessed, but for those of you that aren't sure, here's some signs that guarantee you're a theater nerd!
1. You'd Rather Vacation in New York City Than a Tropical Island
New York City is the ultimate destination for everything theater related, so why would you even think of going anywhere else during vacation? Can you say broadway?! If you were a true theater geek you would opt out of that family trip to Bermuda, and suggest seeing every Broadway show possible! From off-Broadway, to well known musical classics, you must see them all, no matter what.
2. You keep all your Playbills and Make it a Point to Read Every Bio
Is that weird? No, not to theater geeks. In fact, you idolize every actor's success story, and aspire to be as successful as they are in such a competitive business. The amount of Playbills you own is quite impressive, and you guard them with your life. If any of those signed Playbills end up anywhere but in your keepsake box, you'll break down in tears... This is a tradition that will most likely become a habit of your children, and your children's children.
3. You Become a Crazy Paparazzi When You See an Actor Walk Out the Stage Door
Standing at the stage door post-show is what you're best at. You're an expert at pushing your way to the front of the barricades, and always having a sharpie handy! You're willing to stay out late at night to get that one autograph from your favorite actor, and you're even willing to break curfew during you're summer experience, (me missing curfew in the above photo, but not caring because it's Sutton Foster.) No matter who the actor is, you always become starstruck and idolize their monumental performance.
4. You'll Seize Every Moment to Improve Your Training
You'll spend all night and all day looking into your character profile, but please don't forget to actually do school, it's important. Memorization comes naturally and all your non-theater friends still wonder how you did so well on vocab quizzes back in high school. You'll apply to summer programs, and to your amazement, you'll be accepted! Theater nerds always bond with other theater nerds, so you're bound to make a new family if you go to a program during your free time, I know I did! You'll come back all ready for rehearsals and earn some major brownie points with your director. Underclassmen fawn over your ability to make nice with your director, but its simply because you're a theater nerd and seize every moment to improve.
5. The Auditorium Is Your New Home
Forget about your actual home, there's no way you'll be able to make it after a full day at school. You'll spend over 14 hours at school some days, not to mention hell week where it's possible to spend more than that! You'll be exhausted and completely tempted to just curl up in the prop room and await rehearsal the next day. You'll start to notice certain characteristics of the auditorium like the chipping paint on the ceiling, or the dead spots on stage. You'll start to smell like the auditorium and find spots backstage to rest with some peace and quiet. You'll leave extra clothes laying around as if the props room was your closet, and yes I do confess to actually doing that... Oops! Why not move in at this point?! We all know you spend more time in that auditorium than you do at home!
6. Your Fellow Thespians are Your Second Family
Doesn't matter if you've been a thespian for less than a year or for your whole life, you will encounter the people you'll love for eternity. They will always be your go to group of people in any situation, and they will support you through life's toughest moments. You'll start to want these people to be your family more than your own, and when you're not at rehearsal or at home for dinner, you're bound to be with them. These people share that theater nerd bond that you won't find anywhere else, so keep them as close as possible! Even when you go off to competition, you'll become life long friends with new theater nerds! If you're a theater nerd, you'll know how important it is to keep these people close.
7. "Take 5" is the Most Rewarding Two Words You'll Hear All Rehearsal
After a run-through, or maybe two, those words will sounds like sweet heaven. This five minutes consists of eating food, healthy of course, and tons of school work... However, if you're a theater nerd, you'll be sure to spend this five minutes wisely to ensure full time to sleep. Even if it's a drag, doing homework during this time is the ultimate key to being well-rested. Take five really means, "Alright people, let's bust out some math problems." Regardless, theater nerds will do whatever it takes to keep on their game for the next rehearsal, and homework at the end of the night is no way to stay on it.
8. Your Car Playlist Consists of Only Musical Numbers
You're friends question your taste in music when you refuse to give them the aux cord just so you can listen to Hamilton's "Satisfied". Theater nerds don't feel bad though, you know you need to get pumped up for the stressful day ahead of you. When you go out on dates and they ask, "So what kind of music do you like?" You're a theater nerd if your answer is almost always, " To be honest, I listen to a lot of Broadway music." It's normal and honestly the best music out there!
9. You Start Acting Like Your Character In Real Life
You always make it a point to perfect your character, so you start reciting your lines over and over again... In public. You start to dress like your character, and even go as far as saying everything in the accent your character has. This is not weird what so ever, and you're not alone. You and your fellow theater nerds will start to spend almost every day and every hour together, but your character changes every season so it never gets boring!
10. You Are a Pro at Tech Week
Tech week, also known as, hell week is the most stressful week of a production season, but you've got it down to a science! You always know what to bring with you from home to make this week not so terrible. You'll always have a pillow pet handy, and take every opportunity possible to sneak in some sleep. You bring cases upon cases of vitamin water to ensure you're hydrated, and you always keep chocolate handy for the non-stop rehearsing. Tech week sucks but you always manage to get through it like a pro, and keep everyone's spirits high during this week from the devil's lair!
Your love for theater is impeccable and you wouldn't have it any other way. Theater will always be your home and will always be in your life. Being a theater nerd gives you your own family that will welcome you with open arms. Shout out to theater nerds everywhere, I love you guys.
